U.S. Navy Frogmen Underwater Demolition Teams Udts (1957)

Synopsis

This 1957 black and white propaganda film MN 8328 is by the U.S. Naval Photographic Center for its Sea Power for Security series. Frogmen lie in a raft tied to a boat traveling at high speed. They roll off one-by-one into the water (:28-35). A Korea beach has multiple detonations, planted by the underwater demolition team (:37-:49). Frogmen sailors experience “hell week” crawling through mud and crossing a river by overhead wires (some fall) during explosions ( 1:04 - 2:07 ). The training tower at New London, Connecticut is 110 feet of water set upright ( 2:09 - 2:23 ). Soldiers in bathing suits are put into a pressurized chamber. A sailor equalizes his ears by pinching his nose ( 2:24 - 2:51 ). At the tank top, wearing goggles, they hold their breaths and sink to the 50’ marker and rise, blowing out bubbles. From the 100’ marker, a soldier rises, hands on hips ( 2:52 - 4:15 ). They don a Pirelli Lung oxygen rebreather ( 4:16 - 4:44 ). Men sit on the edge of the tank wearing an Aqua Lung, which is left at the bottom ( 4:45 - 5:23 ). Sailors are transported to the Virgin Islands for advanced training. They swim in two-man teams; their locations marked on the surface with a buoy ( 5:33 - 6:48 ). A rescue boat rushes to an exhausted diver and pulls him aboard ( 7:00 - 7:29 ). The men exercise on the beach, followed by steak for breakfast ( 7:33 - 8:05 ). They practice entering the water from a raft tied to a fast-moving boat. A looped rope snags them and they’re pulled back on…

Uploader's description on archive.org

Details

Running time

28 minutes

Collection

Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

• Stock Footage